Page 4 of Another Curvy Girl and Grumpy Vamp

“Mmhmm, and I’m the Queen. Deets, please.”

The light turns green. “Honestly, it’s not a big deal. He just… had this presence, you know? I can’t really explain it. He was rocking the whole dark and dangerous vibe.”

“Oh, shoot. With tats and a muscle shirt?”

“Opposite,” I grin at the image of the vamp in a muscle shirt. “Business suit, expensive car and…” I hesitate before adding thebit that is going to give her palpitations. “…silver eyes with red rings.”

“Shut up.” She makes some slapping noise. Knowing her it’s either her forehead or her thigh. “And you weren’t all over him.”

“Not my type.”

“A hunky vamp is everyone’s type. You just don’t want to admit it.”

“Pass. And I never said hunky,” I snort. “Besides, I’ve got enough going on without adding in a bloodsucker. Thanks, but no thanks.”

Nina laughs. “Girl, you do know they don’t go around biting people anymore, right? That’s, like, illegal. The Council made sure of that. Plus, the vaccine makes it so they don’t even want blood like they used to.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s still weird though. Who’s signing up for that? It’s not my kink.”

“I dated a vamp once,” Nina says.

“What?” I nearly swerve into the next lane. “You did not.”

“Oh yeah,” she continues, like it’s no big deal. “Nice guy. But let me tell you, the only thing he wanted to suck was my big toe.”

“Your…what?” I burst out laughing.

“Yup,” Nina says, and I hear the grin in her voice. “The man had a serious foot fetish. And honestly, it was more disturbing than any blood-letting could’ve been.”

I’m laughing so hard now; I can barely keep my eyes on the road. “That is…that is truly horrifying.”

Nina joins in the laughter. “Tell me about it. I dumped him the second he asked to nibble on my pinky toe. I have my limits.”

“Well, give him points for creativity, at least,” I say between laugh breaks. “But yeah, no. Blood-sucking, toe-sucking, it’s all a no for me.”

Nina’s still laughing when I pull into the parking lot of my next fare. “Anyway,” she says, catching her breath, “you’re comingout tonight.” She orders, not asks. “And you’re gonna tell us more about your new man, err vamp.”

“Not my man,” I say. “But fine, I’ll be there. But don’t expect any toe-nibbling stories from me.” I cut off Nina’s laughter and greet my passenger.

***

“So,” Greer says later when the margaritas are flowing like waterfalls. “You parked in a vampire’s spot…”

Nina leans forward, grinning. “Yeah, details, girl. And don’t you dare leave anything out.”

Shaking my head, I ignore her finger jabs. “I gave you everything. I parked. He got mad. That’s it. Can we talk about literally anything else?”

Greer tilts her head slightly, her brows knitting together like she’s reading the surface of my emotions, but she’s not prying. “I get it. He left an impression, though, didn’t he?”

“You have no idea.” I groan and set my glass down. “The man was gorgeous. Broad shoulders, thick dark hair, perfect jawline, tall enough to make me feel tiny—and he had this whole ‘Id ruin your life and you’d thank me for it’ vibe going on.”

Nina lets out a low whistle. “Damn. If that’s what we’re dealing with, maybe you should’ve asked him to nibble on your toes.”

I burst out laughing, nearly spilling my drink. “Seriously, though, I was ready to climb him like a tree trunk. But then I saw the red in his eyes and knew.”

Greer raises a brow. “That he’s a vamp?”

“Yeah,” I say, sitting back in my chair. “And if that wasn’t enough, he owns the building I’m living in. The parking spot said reserved for Baden Eames. I’ve lived there a year and never saw so much as a fairy’s feather of an owner. So, when I get in late, it’s the safest spot to park in—right next to the elevator.Honestly, I thought some large corporation must run the building as a tax write off. But as soon as I got to my apartment, I looked up the owner of the business and there he was, Mr. Baden Eames. That was the end of it. It would be icky enough being his blood bank but the whole landlord-tenant thing is problematic.”

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